Heat the oil in a non stick saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic
and spices for 1 minute, stirring.
Stir in the bulgur wheat and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes,
until lightly browned.
Add the stock or water, mushrooms and lentils.
Simmer over a very low heat for about 25 - 30 minutes, until the
bulgur wheat and lentils are tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
Add more stock or water, if necessary.
Season well with salt, pepper and cayenne and serve hot.
Serves 4
Green lentils can be cooked without presoaking, as they cook quite
quickly and keep their shape. However, if you have the time, soaking
them first will shorten the cooking time slightly.
To make Brown Rice and Lentil Pilaf substitute the same amount of
brown rice for the bulgur wheat. You could also stir in a 300 g can
sweet corn towards the end of cooking, if you like.
Bulgur wheat is very easy to cook and can be used in almost any way
you would normally use rice, hot or cold. Some of the finer grades need
hardly any cooking, so check the packet for cooking times.
